The expression “landing a big fish” takes on a new meaning this fall as Alaska Airlines begins flying a 737-400 painted to resemble a chinook salmon. Dubbed the Salmon-Thirty-Salmon, the seafood-inspired paint job was completed with a $500,000 grant from the Alaska Fisheries Marketing Board. The 737 symbolizes the role the airline plays in the […]
News
RAM Aircraft breathes new life into old engines
You’ve just spent big money getting the exterior and interior of your airplane restored, now how about finishing the job and renovating what’s under the cowl? RAM Aircraft in Waco, Texas, can help you do the job. The company has more than 25 years in the engine remanufacturing business. It specializes in providing horsepower upgrades […]
GA shipments up 25%
The good news continues for the GA industry. In the first nine months of this year, shipments rose 25.7% to 2,432, while industry-wide billings for new airplanes rose to $10.4 billion, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA). “This is an affirmation that the efficiency and advanced capabilities of general aviation products are very […]
Potomac Airfield closed for alleged security violations
November began on a sour note for pilots at Potomac Airfield (VKX). The Transportation Security Administration issued a letter informing the airport that its security program has been suspended. Simply stated, the airport is closed. The Maryland airport had been notified recently – and repeatedly, according to Secretary of Transportation Norman Y. Mineta – about its […]
Youngest pilot around?
Parker Henderson may just be the youngest pilot in the United States. The teen celebrated his 14th birthday on Oct. 10 by making his first solo flight in a Schweizer 2-33 sailplane. Henderson, who lives in Laguna Niguel, Calif., started taking flying lessons shortly after his 13th birthday at Hemet-Ryan Airport, which just happens to […]
One size does not fit all: Mineta says no to user fees
The FAA’s funding problems won’t be solved by user fees if Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta has any say in the matter. “I can tell you right now, from my perspective, the solution will not be user fees,” Mineta told more than 1,000 pilots at the opening session of the AOPA Expo earlier this month. “The […]
Those who cannot fly, build
In the early days of aviation many aircraft designers and builders were also pilots. Glenn Curtiss, Glenn L. Martin, Howard Hughes and Bill Boeing all had time in their designs. Donald Wills Douglas was the exception. Although he designed many pioneering airplanes, and his DC-3 (actually designed by Arthur Raymond) was the preferred choice of […]
Cirrus outsells Cessna — again
Year-to-date shipments released by the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) confirm Cirrus Design Corp.’s “dominant position” as the market leader in high-performance, single-engine, four-place airplanes. “For the past three years the Cirrus SR22 has been the world’s best selling airplane,” said John M. Bingham, executive vice president of sales and marketing. “We’re pleased that our […]
Mooney delivered 23 units in Q3
That good news is shared at Mooney Airplane Co., which delivered 23 aircraft valued at more than $9 million in the third quarter of this year. So far this year, the company has delivered 66 planes worth about $28 million, which places it on track to more than double 2004 deliveries. Last year, the company […]